Observation Hours

We require students who wish to complete the 25 hour observation requirement for the Texas State Licensure and/or ASHA certification will be required to enroll in a one-hour observation course.

Enrollment in the course will make you eligible to observe on and off campus. Students with upper-division standing and twelve semester hours of coursework in communication sciences and disorders may enroll in the course. On and off campus observation will only count toward the observation requirement if completed while you are enrolled in the one-hour observation course. Students who meet the prerequisite may register for the course during their access period.

Many CSD students engage in volunteer activities in the community above and beyond the required observation experience. We encourage you to continue these activities (before or after completing your observation experiences) as they contribute to your professional development and are a valuable contribution to our community. Once again, on and off campus observation will only count toward the observation requirement if completed while you are enrolled in the one-hour observation course.

Students also may participate in the Honors Practicum for either Audiology or Speech Language Pathology to earn observation hours.

Course Description

CSD 140L. Professional Issues in Communication Disorders. Restricted to communication sciences and disorders majors. Issues in ethics, licensure, certification, and professional practice in communication disorders. One lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the pass/fail basis only. May not be counted toward a degree. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and twelve semester hours of coursework in communication sciences and disorders.

Reminders for observing at the UT Speech and Hearing Center (CMA 2.200):

Be sure that you have a copy of your signed confidentiality statement with you. Your advisor has these on file for each of you. This is the clinical faculty member's assurance that you are part of the department and have been instructed in confidentiality.

Have a copy of the observation log available for clinical faculty to sign. You can get these from your advisor or in the copy room in the clinic (on top of the four-drawer file cabinet). Please realize that there may not always be a supervisor in the corridor; therefore there may not always be someone who can sign your hours. We cannot sign hours that we did not see you observing. If this is critical to you, please be sure that a supervisor is present before beginning to observe. Also, remember that the supervisors must supervise a percentage of time over the course of the semester. They typically supervise more at the beginning of the semester and less at the end--so you may want to plan accordingly!

Sign up on the door to the corridor for the times that you would like to observe each week. Each time slot has three spaces for observers. If all slots are full, please choose another time. This allows ample space for family members and clinical faculty in the corridor. New schedules are posted each Monday morning.

Please remember to turn off cell phones prior to entering the corridor. Leave your backpacks, etc., on the table across from the corridor door. There is simply not enough room in the corridor for people and belongings!

The last day of clinic hours are set each semester by the clinic director (distributed by email from the academic advisor).

There may be times, for a variety of reasons, that you will be asked not to observe a certain session. Please be respectful of these requests.

Remember that there are likely to be family members observing therapy session. Please do not have any discussions about the therapy sessions while observing or outside the clinic.